


Sickness

by VanillaCandyLust



Category: RWBY
Genre: Eating Disorders, F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:33:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28980432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaCandyLust/pseuds/VanillaCandyLust
Summary: I recently relasped and I'm now writing my feelings
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Sickness

Emerald hated eating, she in fact despised it. She didn’t understand how other people could stand to consume so much. Her disorder started back when she and her companion Mercury lived on the streets. She had done everything she could to make sure Mercury would live another day, even cutting down how much she’d eat, so he could eat instead. Sometimes he’d bring attention to how weak she was, or how he could easily see her ribs. He’d force her to eat and she couldn’t help but feel shame for making him worry, but she still couldn’t bring herself to keep her food down completely. 

It had become easy to fool her adoptive parents, with the addition of her semblance. Even at times when she was too weak to use it, it was surprisingly simple. She’d simply sit at the dinner table, conversating regularly with them all, her own mother’s long, inquisitive, topics gave her the perfect blanket of cover to fake it all. 

Though one of her parents seemed to be on to her, the father figure that she’s had for 2 months now: Hazel Rainart. He’s always been the more observant of the 3, he’d always try to get her and Mercury to talk about the way they felt about things they did and their boundaries, but never about her food.

Hazel noticed the headaches first, he’d always get them in the dining room. He didn’t question them when Amber, his only biological child, also had them, he thought it was just a weird genetic thing. It was a matter that a little sleep could fix so he didn’t worry his lovers about it. But then he started to notice how Emerald would seem scared to talk about food, or eating in general. She would look sick when he or her mothers would ask for her opinion about what they were eating for the day. 

Even now as he sat in the dining room with his family, he gaze lingered on Emerald as she conversated, completely ignoring her empty plate below. She was currently talking with one of his wifes, Cinder. She gave Emerald all her attention and when Mercury called to her, Salem, and himself, she turned her eyes off Emerald for a second. In that moment Hazel felt his head hurting again, he held his temples in order to try and ease the pain.

The first one to notice was Amber. “Dad, are you alright?” She walked around the table, ready to tend to his needs. All of the attention was on him, everyone was aware of his frequent headaches. 

Abruptly he stood from his chair, being careful of the chandelier above, Salem would kill him if his head brought another one down. He assured everyone that he was fine and made his way to the kitchen to get some aspirin, only leaving when Amber returned to her seat. Quickly he downed the pills with water, the sound of the kitchen faucet accompanied by the loud laughter coming from the room behind him. 

He walked back into the dining room, hearing a story of the mischief Mercury and his friends got up to at school and when he sat he gazed upon Emerald again, her attention was completely zeroed in on Mercury. He almost released a gasp of shock when he saw her once empty plate was utterly full, perfectly untouched, and even her spoon was still in place beside it. Emerald finally looked at him, she seemed carefree and queried him on his puzzled expression. He waved her off, feigning another headache. 

He wasn’t hallucinating, he wasn’t sick, and he definitely wasn’t insane. He clearly saw Emerald’s empty plate and now it was completely full of food. There was no way she could get more food in the time that he was absent, and there was no way that Salem would let her get the food herself, she loved doing things for them all. So the only possible solution he could come up with is that Emerald has been using her Semblance to make it seem like she was eating. 

It would explain the headaches he had, if Emerald was weak enough from not eating, he would be able to feel the effects of her Semblance on his mind. This solution also explained why Amber had them, out of everyone she was around Emerald the least, her mind wouldn’t be accustomed to being warped  _ if  _ that is what Emerald is doing, though he couldn’t find any other way to explain it. But how would he explain why his other family members seemed to not be affected by Emerald’s illusions, the more he thought the more outrageous the situation seemed. 

He stared, in thought, at Emerald’s plate until the end of dinner. Then he became aware of Cinder taking the dish and cutlery in front him, it was her day to wash the dishes. Waving her hand away, he got them himself also managing to get Salem’s. He helped Cinder gather the rest and walked around the table and when he reached for Emerald’s glass dish, she suddenly stood taking her plate and Mercury’s to the kitchen sink. 

Laughter came from the woman beside him, “She’s so helpful.” Salem was still seated at the table still talking with Mercury who moved to sit closer to her and Amber. She turned to Amber to speak. “Do you think she’ll like it here with us, Amber?” 

Before Amber could reply Hazel exited, making his way into the kitchen again, where Emerald was insisting to wash the dishes herself. 

“Well maybe I could just help, please?” Emerald practically begged, still holding her plate and Mercury’s. 

Cinder shook her head firmly. “I can do it myself, Emerald, you don’t need to help me.” She turned back to the sink filling it with hot, soapy water. Hazel already knew what the answer would be, Cinder had been adamant on doing things herself ever since she lost vision in her right eye. She was stubborn but that was what he and Salem loved about her. 

Emerald was saddened but not surprised by her response. “Okay, well let me know if you need any help.” She left the dishes and cutlery on the right counter next to Cinder and stepped inside the living room, greeting Hazel along the way. 

Hazel could feel his stomach drop as he saw Emerald’s plate, the food perfectly intact, placed on the counter waiting to be washed. He almost yelled when he saw Cinder place her hand on it, pulling it back when she felt something strange on it.

Cinder looked at the dish in confusion, subconsciously moving her hair from her right eye to peer at it. Hazel knew that Cinder was probably still being affected by Emerald’s Semblance though he couldn’t bring attention to it, not yet. 

Thinking that it was simply her vision playing tricks on her Cinder turned back to the sink to wash the dishes. Hazel came behind her, first making himself known so he didn’t startle her. He placed the dish in the same place that Emerald did. 

He glanced at the full plate and then looked to Cinder, who was still scrubbing a dirty fork. Slowly he took the plate full of rice and vegetables and placed it in the refrigerator, not to eat later but just to see Emerald’s reaction to it. He’d have to get more evidence of Emerald’s eating disorder, he didn’t want to just accuse her blindly.

“Hazel?” Cinder called to him. “Weren’t there four plates here?” As much as he loved his wife he couldn’t let her in on his plan. Not only would it make Emerald feel terrible, it would affect Cinder as well. She’d be absolutely wrecked that another thing went unnoticed because of her eye. He didn’t feel good taking advantage of Cinder’s partially lost vision but he could beg for forgiveness at a later time. He watched as Cinder’s hand passed over the snow white glass, her hand counting all but one that she was certain that she saw.

“No.” Hazel came from behind her, coming to her left side to take the already cleaned things out the sink and away to the cabinets and drawers they belonged in. “There were only three, I'm sure of it.” Cinder simply shrugged it off, passing the freshly washed plates to him. Next she would put away the leftovers on the stove, still in their covered pots.

He was in the middle of organizing the silverware in the drawer closest to him when Salem finally exited the dining room, followed by Amber and Mercury, still conversing about the mischief Mercury and his friends cause at school. It seemed as if he and his friends got into some kind of trouble everyday, though it wasn’t anything too serious most of the time. 

Salem walked them both into the living area, feeling satisfied when she saw them, still chatting, walking up the stairs to return to their respective spaces. She returned to the kitchen to see Hazel washing the black pots she cooked their dinner in and Cinder packaging the leftover rice and vegetables. Hazel noticed her entrance and looked as if he wanted to speak, he looked at Cinder struggling to spoon the food into the plastic bags and looked back at her. Almost immediately she rolled up her sleeves and went to Cinder to help. 

She observed as Cinder’s hand blindly searched for another ziplock bag on the right counter. Failing to find it, she sighed in frustration thankfully Salem was there, obtaining the bag for her. She turned away from Salem, refusing her help with a simple task like storing food. Having finally finished, she walked carefully to the refrigerator, as to not drop anything. She slowly made her way to the fridge but to her dismay Hazel got there first, opening the door for her. 

Cinder rolled her eye, peering inside to see a seemingly bare, white dish. She looked suspiciously at Hazel, shoving the bags of food towards his chest. Hazel, curious of what she was doing, leaned down to see her reaching for Emerald’s discarded food. He let out a sharp gasp when Cinder’s hand fell upon the top of it, touching Emerald’s cold rice.

Salem was thoroughly shocked by what happened. She had her back turned from Cinder and Hazel when suddenly she heard the sound of glass breaking. Hazel had left to get a broom while she immediately rushed to Cinder trying to pull her away from the shards of glass, only to be met with Cinder brushing her hands away. 

“What was that? I heard something break.” Emerald came from her place in the living room upon hearing her dish fall. She looked to Salem, Cinder, and Hazel, who had begun sweeping the glass and food spilled on the floor. She walked around Salem and Cinder to complete the scene in front of her, only to completely freeze when she saw what Hazel was sweeping; it was her plate of food.

Both Salem and Hazel noted her reaction, storing it away as something to discuss later. “Everything’s fine, Cinder just had a little accident with some glass.” Salem spoke to Emerald attempting to calm the girl, ignoring Cinder’s red face at the admittance of her situation. Cinder pulled away from Salem, turning into the living room, and walked away, mumbling something under her breath. Salem sighed in slight annoyance and trekked after her, leaving Hazel and Emerald in the kitchen alone. 

The room was completely silent, except for the sound of the glass sliding against the floor. Emerald looked up at Hazel who was more focused on cleaning the mess Cinder made. She was about to speak when Salem came back. She swiftly passed by Emerald, who was still star-struck, she spoke to Hazel, who was now finished sweeping the mess on the floor, disposing of it in the trash.

“Cinder is very upset right now, she’s gone to bed early.” Emerald knew her mother’s words were directed to Hazel, but she knew it was also a suggestion for everyone to return to their respective rooms. It would give Salem the chance to properly comfort Emerald and if Cinder was already asleep by the time they were there, it would give Hazel the perfect chance to speak with his wife about his suspicions of Emerald’s eating disorder. 

Taking Salem’s subtle suggestion Emerald proceeded to leave. “Goodnight mom.” She walked further to the exit of the kitchen. “Goodnight Hazel.” She finally said, though Salem could clearly see her discomfort and turned to Hazel in concern.

“Goodnight Emerald” Hazel returned to the girl. He wasn’t fazed with Emerald using his first name, he was willing to do just about anything to help her and Mercury adjust to having a family again, and this was one of them. He smiled at her slightly putting the green-haired girl at ease.

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Salem added as Emerald finally walked out the kitchen, giggling at her remark. She pulled Hazel towards the living room, only to be pulled back by him. She looked at him in confusion, lending him her ear when he bent down to whisper something. Her eyes widened in shock as she listened to his whispers, her gaze immediately falling upon Emerald talking with Mercury as they walked up the stairs. 


End file.
